Sunday, December 1, 2019

An old friend and a new one




Trader Joe's Stockyard Oatmeal Stout is an old friend. Still a nice oatmeal stout and still a great value. I am upgrading the rating from 3 glasses

Rating = 4 glasses 


Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils is a pleasant pilsner. 

Rating = 2 glasses but may deserve 3.

Kent Falls Flourish is an interesting and complex beer. It is a blend of saison conditioned on cherries and wild ale aged in wine barrels with spent cherries. Top of bottle is sour vinegar. Bottom brings into play sweetness and flavor from the cherries.

Rating = 5 glasses

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Ommegang Pale Sour

Ommegang Pale Sour is an easy drinking Wild Ale. Good with food. Slightly tart.

"A mixed-culture fermentation in open copper vats is followed by months of aging in stainless steel. Master blenders regularly mix new batches with older ones to achieve the ideal combination of flavors and the perfect balance of sweet and sour."

Rating = 4 glasses.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Carolina Bauernhaus 18 Mile Red Plum

18 Mile Red Plum is a fantastic wild ale. The label says the brewer uses a local lactobacillus and ages the beer for 6 months in wine barrels and then lets the beer sit another 3 months on local, tart, red plums. The predominate flavor is tart. I drank my last bottle on Halloween because the beer is so tart it is scary. Some plum with a little sweet peeks through the tartness but just barely. 

Rating = 6 glasses. I want to buy more. The beer may rate 7 glasses but I don't want to jump to conclusions.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Birds Fly South Parachutes

Parachutes is a saison aged in wine wine barrels and fermented with Pinot Noir juice, skins, and stems. Imagine mixing beer and wine. If you want a beer + wine cocktail then this is the beer for you. If not, ... . It is interesting but not my cup of tea.

Rating = 2 glasses

Monday, October 21, 2019

Stone Espresso Totalitarian Stout

Stone Espresso Totalitarian Stout is a wonderful Russian Imperial Stout. It is BIG, with loads of hidden alcohol and a nice dose of coffee flavor. The coffee is a perfect balance to the sweet beer and is not too much. I had a glass at Postbellum on Happy Hour. It was too cold and I had to drink it too fast to really appreciate the beer. I need another try to figure out whether the rating is 4 glasses, 5 glasses, or even 6 glasses. 

Rating = 5 glasses.

Friday, October 18, 2019

As I work my way through a 30-pack of Summertime and Goose IPA, I decided to revise my ratings a second time.

Summer Time is a decent kölsch (search for kolsch) that would be a decent substitute for pilsner and other light lagers, wits, and hefeweizen. The more I drink, the more I think it is too sweet and uninteresting. Downgraded from 4 glasses.

New rating = 3 glasses.

Goose IPA is a decent IPA. I liked the last can. Upgraded from 2 glasses.

New rating = 3 glasses.


Saturday, September 14, 2019

Devil's Backbone O-fest

Festbier v. Märzen

A decent Oktoberfest. A titch tinny. Had one on draft at Post Bellum. Liked it enough to have another

Rating = 2 glasses.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Stone Tangerine Express


Tangerine Express adds whole tangerines and pineapple to an American IPA. It is NOT a fruit bomb. It is an American IPA with added flavor. The citrus complements and smooths the hops. I liked the first one so much that I drank another.

Rating = 4 glasses.

Lickinghole Creek Twelfth Night


Twelfth Night is quad version of a Christmas ale. The recipe adds several spices to the wort. The result is awful. I poured almost all of 750 ml down the drain.

Rating = 0

Monday, September 9, 2019

Revision of Goose Island Summertime and Goose IPA

As I work my way through a 30-pack of Summertime and Goose IPA, I decided to revise my ratings.

Summer Time is a decent kölsch (search for kolsch) that would be a decent substitute for pilsner and other light lagers, wits, and hefeweizen. I might buy more going forward to have something on hand that goes well with, say, pasta or salad. Upgraded from 3 glasses.

New rating = 4 glasses.

Goose IPA is a decent IPA. However, decent IPAs abound and the more I drink this beer the less interesting it becomes. Downgraded from 3 glasses.

New rating = 2 glasses.




Saturday, September 7, 2019

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Barleywine

Bourbon County Brand Coffee Barleywine (say that fast five times) is a big barleywine with bourbon and coffee flavors. I think that it is an interesting hot mess. Lots of flavor and flavors but I think that the flavors don't form a cohesive whole. 

Rating = 1 glass.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Straffe Hendrik Wild

Straffe Hendrik Wild is a tripel refermented with Brett. It is an interested Orval-like take on a triple. The bottle I drank was dated 2015.

Rating = 4 glasses.


Thursday, August 29, 2019

Central State JEM

An interesting take on a Flanders Red Ale.  Subdued sweet tart with wine and oak flavors. Easy drinking.

Rating = 4 glasses.